Understatement of the Century
by Enula
Summary: After finding the Philosopher's Stone and getting Al's body back, Ed and Al return home to the Rockbell's. One surprise occurs after another. Hope they didn't expect their lives to become simple. EdWinry
1. What?

**__**

Understatement of the Century

I

The cool autumn breeze blew, making a small tornado out of the fallen leaves. The short green grass with hints of brown swayed only slightly, but the almost bare trees were getting pushed and pulled by the wind. The few flowers that were still standing shivered, knowing their end was right around the corner with winter.

There was a sense of serenity in the air. The atmosphere smelled fresh, also carrying the aroma of delicious food. Birds chirped their songs, that being the only sound thrown into the wind.

Well, that and the slightly loud clanging of tools.

Of course, Ed didn't mind hearing Winry search through all her "collectibles". He was used it. And he couldn't help but smile gently as he watched her.

With her low mumbles of "I know I have it in here somewhere" and her half-frustrated groans when her long, blonde hair was blown into her face, Winry was definitely a sight to behold.

"I swear, Ed, you would think after this long you would know how to fix the automail," she said just loudly enough for him to hear. He did nothing but grin as he lay back with his hands behind his head.

"I do know how," he finally responded, "I just don't want to do it right now."

"And why would that be?" she fired back at him, though her eyes brightened when she finally found what she was looking for. She walked over to him, holding her tool up like she wanted to stab him with it. "'Cause you're lazy! That's why." Winry answered for him.

Instead of responding, he plopped his metal arm out beside him. Ed didn't even try to hold back his laughter when she sighed, but plopped down beside him nonetheless.

-

Ed thought about arguing nonstop with her that day, but decided against it. At that time, he knew he and Al would be leaving the next day. There had been rumors going about involving the Philosopher's Stone and Ed wanted to get there as soon as possible. The distance was great, however, permitting him to believe that they would be gone for a lot longer than usual this time around.

He didn't know why, but he didn't tell Winry about it. She knew they were leaving again, but they never specified where.

That was almost five years ago and to that day, Ed still wondered if anything would have changed if he did tell her.

Al tried his best to convince his brother that it would be best to tell Winry where they were heading, but Ed kept insisting that he would tell her in a letter. After all, he knew how emotional that girl could get at times.

Right before they were about to leave, Ed and Al were just beginning to walk away from Winry's house when Ed turned around quickly.

"I like you a lot, Winry," he said. It was so abrupt, he even surprised himself that he said it. His mind didn't even have enough time to fight against it. Besides, since when did those kinds of words just spill out of his mouth?

From there on after, he would always shake his head in shame and embarrassment. _'I like you a lot? What a stupid understatement that was…'_

There was a certain look in her eyes that made him unable to tear his gaze from her. On the surface, she was nothing more than confused and shocked. Underneath it all, she had a desire to return his words and hear more.

Before she could get the words out, Ed flashed her a smile and continued walking, Al following suit. Winry watched them go, smiling also when she saw Ed turn to Al and begin yelling, and Al hold up his hands in defense. She pictured Al chuckling softly at his brother's outburst.

"I like you, too, Ed," she said into the wind, wondering if it carried her voice to Ed.

Even if it could've reached him, he was too busy yelling to hear.

He liked to blame his outburst on his age. Sure, Ed knew when and how to be mature, but that usually only came about when alchemy was involved. Romance was something he tried not to think about; to not have interfere with his travels.

But now that he was older, twenty-one to be exact, he thought maybe it was about time he and Winry actually sat down and talked an actual talk. About _them. _Not about alchemy or automail.

Ed smiled as he looked out the window of the train, nothing but trees zooming past his vision. A lot had happened to him and Al over the past five years with only sending a couple letters to Winry. Many scars and terrors were born along the way, but there was always that certain something that could forever push them forward.

Looking down at his mechanical arm, Ed had no regrets. They did end up finding the Philosopher's Stone, alas, it got destroyed during a big battle over it. He found that if he didn't use it how he did first, things wouldn't have turned out as great as they did. Ed still didn't have his arm or leg, but…

Taking a look at the sleeping Al next to him, Ed knew he wouldn't have it any other way. Finally being able to see his younger brother in the flesh was the greatest reward of all.

Even when he saw that Al was taller than him. Ed grew to be between five foot six and five foot seven. For awhile, he thought it was great that he was now only a couple inches shorter than everyone else. But when he saw Al to be about five foot ten, it basically ruined all his dreams of possibly being looked upon as the older brother. To everyone they met, Ed came off as the younger one and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He thought back to Winry and wondered how tall she had gotten. She was always just a little taller than him and wondered how it would be if she was still that way.

__

'That would be more than a little awkward…' He thought to himself.

Dismissing the thought, his amber eyes focused on Al again when he moaned quietly. He fluttered his eyes before rubbing the sleep out of them with his palms.

"Are we there yet?" Al asked, looking out the window to see if he recognized anything.

Ed rested his elbow on the window seal to hold his chin in his hand, "We still have about another hour to go."

"Oh…" Al commented dryly, stretching his legs and arms, "I bet you're excited, huh Brother?"

Ed nodded, "It's gonna be great to be back home."

"I can't wait for Winry to see me. She's going to be so surprised!" Al's eyes turned excitedly to Ed, "What do you think?"

Smiling gently with a proud look, Ed agreed, "She's going to be overjoyed, Al. It's been awhile since she's seen either one of us with a full human body."

The way he said it made Al do a double take. It didn't take him long to figure out what made him downhearted. As soon as they left on this mission, all Ed could talk about was how he couldn't wait to show Winry two human arms. The thought sometimes made Al look at his arms in disgust, wanting to rip out one of his to give to his brother. No matter what went down or what Ed said, Al would always find it unfair that only one of them was completely normal again.

"Hey, don't look like that, Al," Ed said, giving a big smile to cheer him up, "we gotta be happy when we show up. It won't be much of a coming home surprise if we look disappointed."

"I know, but…"

"No buts," Ed told him, narrowing his eyebrows, "we achieved something, Al. You got your body back and it's great to see you again. So let's make a deal, okay?" Ed proposed, leaning forward, "No more talk about what _could've _happened. Deal?"

Holding out his metal hand, Al looked down at it before looking into his older brother's determined eyes. Like always, seeing the strength in him built up his courage also. His flesh grasped the cool metal to seal the pact.

-

"Well, we're here," Ed said when they stepped onto the Rockbell's property. They each had a single bag they held limply at their sides. Ed dropped it to the ground and cupped his hands around his mouth. Taking in a deep breath, he screamed as loud as he could, _"Winry! We're home!"_

Al laughed at Ed's enthusiasm, but kept his eye on the door that Winry was to come out of. When a few moments went by and all was as still as could be, he began to get worried.

"Umm…what if no one's home right now? Our surprise will be ruined," Al said, feeling slightly disappointed.

"No, it won't," Ed shot back, picking up his bag again and walking toward the house, "they'll be even more surprised when they come home and see us lounging in the living room, acting as though we were sitting there for weeks."

"That's true," Al nodded, walking quickly to keep up with Ed. They both stopped, however, when they saw the front door begin to open. Their smiles widened in anticipation. Blonde hair was seen from the side, causing Ed to take a few more steps forward, "Winry…"

Then she stepped out the door. Ed's smile quickly dropped, followed by Al's. Winry looked as beautiful as ever. Her hair was still down to her rear, the blonde taking on a new shine from the high noon sun. Her big blue eyes were full of joy and excitement. Her body was even more toned, showing it off nicely with a small tank top and tight jeans. Her feet were bare which somehow added to the look of purity, but there was one little detail that threw both the Elric brother's off.

Ed was having a hard time tearing his gaze from this surprise. His mouth was hanging open, but he closed it quickly when he swallowed roughly. Slowly and with a shaky hand, he pointed, "Al…umm…do you see what I see."

"I sure do," Al responded simply.

There were no other words needed. They both automatically assumed the worst, knowing it was hard to think otherwise.

For right in Winry's arms was a baby no more than a year old, looking as though it was about to cry from the intrusion.

What, oh what, did Winry do?


	2. Who?

**__**

Understatement of the Century

II.

All Ed could think about was how the last time he saw Winry, he didn't recall seeing her with a baby. Of course, he was gone a lot longer than the age of the baby, but he couldn't seem to add two and two together. Wouldn't he have heard if Winry was pregnant?

There was a baby carriage beside the door, very pink and frilly. Though the excitement was very apparent in Winry's eyes, she took great care to gently lower the baby into the basket before running toward the Elric brother's quickly.

Her arms were wide open, her laugh following all the way. Ed hardly had time to act before Winry reached him, her slender arms encircling around his neck. Taking a step back to avoid falling, his hand instinctively touched her hip to make sure she stopped.

"Ed, is it really you?" she practically screamed in his ear, making him wince, "Oh my god, it's been so long! It is you!"

Her exuberant laughter caused her to jump up and down while still holding onto him. His body moved awkwardly against hers in the process. In the time she was taking up, he used this as an opportunity to compare their heights. It was just as he suspected. She was exactly the same height as him. He sighed inwardly. Oh well, at least she wasn't taller than…

Ed paused on that thought and looked down over her shoulder. She was bare foot. He was still wearing his boots.

His eyes dulled quickly in anger.

"Ed, you didn't change one bit!"

Her comment angered him more. He pushed her away from him and stomped his feet, "Who are you calling an ant that everyone can just step on!"

Alphonse covered his face embarrassingly with his hand, "Brother…"

"And what the hell is that!" Edward exclaimed as he chose to ignore Al and change the subject. He stretched his arm out, his finger shaking with annoyance. Winry gave him a strange look before turning around to see what he was pointing out. It was directed toward the carriage.

"The carriage?" she asked.

"_No! _The thing that's inside it!"

Rolling her eyes, Winry put her hands on her hips, "It's called a baby, Ed."

"Don't you think I know that!" He yelled, still quite upset from the harmless statement earlier.

For a long moment, Al, Ed, and Winry did nothing but stare at each other. Winry blew air upward, her hair flying up and out of her face, "Some greeting. I guess I was more right than I thought when I said you didn't change."

"Eh!" Ed froze, his face turning red then blue.

She smirked, knowing that Ed knew what she was about to say. She slowly opened her mouth to begin speaking.

"Eh!" he screamed loudly, trying to stop her.

"Including…"

__

"Eh!"

"Your…"

__

"EH!"

"Height."

Groaning with disappointment, Ed fell to the ground face first.

Holding back a giggle, Winry finally turned to Al, a sparkle flashing in her eyes when she got a good look at him. Smiling gently for him, she walked forward and wrapped her arms around his midsection so press her cheek to his chest, "Al, it's so good to see you again. The _real _you."

Al chuckled shyly and hugged her back. He couldn't believe how great it felt. Besides his brother, Winry was the only other one he was able to embrace since getting his body back. With her short tank top on, his hands felt plenty of her skin. Closing his eyes, he savored the moment as he wished for the day to come where he would be able to hold someone anytime he wanted. He knew how Ed felt about Winry, but he didn't know how Ed felt about actually settling down. But for Alphonse, though he was only twenty, he felt as though he had been waiting for someone for a long time.

"Wow, it looks like you actually would be able to fit nicely in that suit of armor," Winry remarked without any bad intentions, "You really grew."

Ed quickly lifted himself from the ground. Standing behind Winry with his fists clenched, he yelled once again, "Would you stop talking about how he's as tall as a tree and I'm as small as a mouse!"

Letting go of Al, Winry turned around and shook her head, "Edo, you really gotta stop hearing things that aren't said."

At the house, the baby Winry rested into the carriage wailed for attention. Without any hesitation, Winry walked past Ed toward the baby, "Now you woke her up with all your screaming."

"Her…?" Ed asked, calming down almost immediately. Al came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. Edward's eyes saddened when he witnessed Winry picking up the baby and cradling her against her chest, bouncing ever so slightly. "What do you think about this, Al?"

"I'm not sure, Brother. But…don't assume anything just yet, okay?" Al advised wisely.

"Yeah…sure," Ed responded dryly before picking up his bag and walking toward the house.

Al followed, hoping Ed wouldn't do something stupid. They both stopped a few feet back, getting a good look at how Winry cooed over the child. Al decided to begin asking questions without actually asking something Winry might not want to answer. "What's her name?" He decided to start off safe.

Winry smiled and turned the kid toward Ed and Al. Her face was streaked with tears, her face puffy with anger. Her lips were in a pout, the bottom one still trembling. She had a small patch of black hair on her head, which Winry smoothed down when she saw it was sticking up.

"This is little Xendra," Winry introduced, grabbing her little hand and making her wave, "Say hello to Al and little Ed."

Ed's eyes dulled once again as he tried to keep his anger hidden until a later time when a child wasn't present. He didn't want to traumatize her after all.

"What a nice name," Al critiqued, stepping closer to Winry and Xendra. Al leaned over so he could get a closer look, smiling widely when his eyes caught hers. "You're a little cutie," he reached out and ran his index finger gently over the baby's cheek, amazed at how soft it was. Xendra didn't flinch, but instead became amazed. Abruptly, she giggled and reached out for him to take her.

"She wants you to hold her," Winry explained, propping her up higher so Al could handle her.

"No, no, that's okay," Al said quickly, holding up his hands so Winry wouldn't shove the baby into his arms, "I think I'll wait until I'm sitting down before I hold her."

Cocking her head to the side, Winry smiled, "But you've held a baby before." When she saw that Al wasn't about to do it so soon, she looked around him toward Ed, "Would you like to hold her, Ed?"

Having finally gotten addressed, Ed stepped forward and pushed his way inside the house without giving Al or Winry a second glance.

Winry watched him go before turning back to Al, "Umm…?"

Al sighed at his brother's stubborn ways and figured he would be the one to ask Winry all the questions, "So who's child is she?" Blunt, yes, but he chose to simply get it over with.

"Oh, she's—," Winry paused before she went on. Giving Al a weird look before turning to look in the house, she focused on Al again, giving the expression that said "okay, what the heck's going on?" It didn't take her long to figure out from the look on Al's face. Just as abruptly as Xendra giggled, Winry's laugh burst through her lips before she could stop it. Tears came to her eyes due to the obvious humorous moment.

"What's so funny?" Al asked with a smile, though he had an idea what she was going to say.

Quieting her laughter, she stepped closer to Al and lowered her voice, "Does Ed think Xendra's mine?"

"Well, I kind of thought so at first, too," Al admitted, not afraid to show that he was just as guilty as Ed was.

Winry feigned surprise, "Me? Now come on, Al, do I look like I just had a baby?" she asked, rising her free arm in the air to highlight her thin body better.

Al shrugged, "Some girls don't lose their figure."

"True…" Winry agreed, going silent for a moment as she stared at Al.

He took it as a sign to say something else, "But, uh—it's a relief to know you're not a mother yet. Ed's gonna be happy about that."

Before Al even had the chance to ask Winry who Xendra belonged to, he paused when he caught sight of the look in her eyes. It was mischievous. Right away, he knew what she was thinking. She didn't even have to say it. Knowing his brother's temper, however, he began shaking his head, "Winry, I don't think—."

"Oh, Edo!" Winry yelled, walking into the house, "I think it's quite rude of you to not at least say hello to my _daughter_!"

Al sighed before he mumbled to himself, "Why do those two like upsetting each other so much?"

"Leave me alone, I'm tired," Ed screamed back. He was lying on his back on the sofa, his human arm hiding his eyes.

Winry stopped at the foot of the couch by his feet. Putting Xendra more comfortably on her hip, she smacked his boot with her other hand, "Ed, you sounded so excited when I first heard you outside screaming my name saying that you were home."

"Where, oh where, did my energy go?" he inquired sarcastically. He slid his arm slightly up to be able to look down at Winry and, upon seeing the great agitation in her eyes, crossed his legs so he couldn't see her.

"What's your problem?" she asked. Even though she was letting on that Xendra was her daughter, she didn't think it upset him _that _much. Why did it matter so much to him?

When he didn't answer, she sighed and set Xendra down on the floor, allowing her to crawl around. Winry moved around the couch and got to her knees in front of Ed. He still didn't uncover his eyes, though she knew he felt her there.

She couldn't help but smile at this. '_He's as stubborn as always, too.' _Although they were arguing already after having not seen each other in six years, she really did miss him. And even when she continuously says how much he hasn't changed, she means it as a compliment. Despite their harsh attitudes toward each other, she liked him just the way he was.

With this in mind, she lowered her head to his chest and closed her eyes. Her left hand found his metal hand that was hanging over the edge, wrapping her small hand around the index and middle fingers.

They were both silent for a little over two minutes before Ed just had to ask, "What are you doing?"

"Enjoying your company," she responded simply.

"Why don't you go enjoy Al's company?"

"What's the difference?"

"Exactly."

Winry sighed and lifted her head up to look at his arm covering his eyes again, "Aren't you even going to ask what happened to Grandma Pinako?"

Ed finally lifted his arm a little again to look at the blonde, "She's not out shopping or something?"

Her eyes shook sadly before she looked down, "I wish that were the case. No, she passed away a little over three years ago."

"Oh," he said, surprised by the depressing news. He sat up quickly, feeling bad. He couldn't say he felt bad about bringing it up, for she's the one that did it. Ed knew, however, that she wanted to get the news off her chest instead of waiting on tiptoes for him or Al to ask about her.

"You were alone for a long time then?" Ed asked, lowering his voice to speak softly to her. He could see that she wasn't about to cry, but still felt the need to be gentle with the conversation, if for his sake only. After all, Pinako felt like part of his family just as much as Winry's.

He felt himself wishing he could have been there for Winry when the event occurred. He was never that great at consoling Winry when she cried, but thought that maybe it would have been easier for her if someone she knew was there.

Winry only nodded at the question. The moment was broken when they heard Al laughing. Looking around the couch, they saw that he was making a teddy bear dance back and forth for Xendra, the little girl clapping with delight. Both Winry and Ed smiled at Al's gentleness, wondering where he found all his patience.

"I was alone for a long time, yes," Winry finally answered while still watching Al, "But up until recently I wasn't," she laughed and turned her eyes back to Ed, "Where do you think little Xendra came from?"

As soon as she said it, she wanted to take it back. She didn't mean for it to sound like it did. For a moment, she forgot Ed still thought that Xendra was hers and saw the aggravation enter his golden orbs again.

"Ed, I didn't mean it like that. I was only kidding before," she tried to explain, only to see that Ed shut down his listening abilities once again. She sighed heavily. She hated when he did that.

The door opened and closed loudly when another person entered the house.

Ed's eyes averted back to Winry, accusation written on his face.

Who, oh who, did Winry get involved with?

Thank you for all your reviews! I was so surprised when I got that many. Pleasantly surprised. I decided to write the next chapter soon than expected. But while I'm sitting here writing this, I don't know when this will be posted. My phone is acting up and since my Internet is connected to the phone, it's hard to get online. But I will make sure to have a new chapter ready for each time I do get online. Just for all of you!

Thanks once again!


	3. A Her?

_**Understatement of the Century**_

_**III.**_

Ed shot Winry an angry glare. He stood up, excited about meeting this person. The figure stepped into the doorway, leaving Ed dumb-struck. Al looked almost captivated and Winry merely shook her head in amusement, a soft grin playing on her lips.

"Oh, who's your guests, Winry?"

"A…girl?" Ed murmured beneath his breath.

Yes, a female it was. A woman that seemed to describe all women in their real form, the one that just walked in the door radiated purity. Her bronze-chestnut hair was so far down her back, it seemed she had been growing it for quite some time. Her emerald green eyes sparkled with curiosity, though they looked almost naturally sad. She wore a simple blue house dress that came down to her shins. The size of it actually made her seem even smaller at her short height of about five foot three.

"You look familiar," she stated to Ed, her voice soft and angelic, the corners of her lips only lifting a tiny bit.

"This is—," Winry began before being cut off.

"Edward! You must be the famous Edward Elric, the Full Metal Alchemist, right?" the woman asked, clasping her hands together in front of her shyly. She saw the look of surprise on his face and laughed shortly, "Winry talks about you all the time."

Winry's eyes grew larger, embarrassed that she said such a thing in front of him. Looking at the girl, she nudged her head toward Ed, silently telling her to not say too much in front of him.

The woman got the hint, lightly pressing two fingers to her lips, "I'm sorry. It's just that Winry has this picture of you and…your brother, Al was it? Winry never explained the picture to me of why he was in a suit of armor, but…I don't ask anything that's not my business."

"I'm Al…actually," Al spoke up quickly, a light blush creeping onto his cheeks from his sudden outburst. The red deepened when the girl turned to him, flashing what seemed to be her small, trademark smile.

"Al. Wow, you're taller than what I thought you would be."

As Al scratched the back of his head nervously, Winry slapped her hand over Ed's mouth to keep him from saying anything stupid.

"Heh, yeah. A lot of people tell me that," Al said, looking down at Xendra playing with the teddy bear.

The woman looked down also, her smile actually widening, "I see you've met my daughter, Al. I'm surprised she isn't crying right now. Usually when strange people come near her she starts wailing up a storm." She kneeled down to touch some of the baby's hair, "Don't you Xenny? You just don't like new people."

She reached out and picked up the infant, poking her gently on the nose, "But you like Al, don't you?"

"Ah, so _you're_ the mother," Ed spoke up, pushing Winry away from him. He put his fists on his hips and glanced arrogantly at his childhood friend, "Thought you could trick me, huh?"

Winry rolled her eyes, "I did trick you."

Choosing to ignore that, Ed turned to the new woman, "So Winry makes some extra cash on the side by baby-sitting. Interesting. How many have you baby-sat at once, Winry? Ever make it to twenty?"

"What are you talking about, Ed?" Winry clenched her fist and punched him in the back of his head, "Xendra's the only one I baby-sit. That is, on the few occasions Vanna does leave her here with me."

"I can see why she would choose not to," Ed insulted, showing her his smug face.

"What are you saying?" Winry got in his face, her eyebrows narrowed into a scowl, "That I'm irresponsible?"

Not being intimidated, he mimicked her glare, "You took the words right out of my mouth!"

As they began their useless argument, Vanna turned away and gave Al a questioning look.

"They always do that…" Al revealed with some shame, embarrassed for his brother and Winry.

Instead of looking shocked, Vanna appeared amused. Though her eyes kept their sad hint, something flashed across her face that could almost be called joyous. She turned back to Winry and Ed, seeming to enjoy their bickering, "You know, they say that fitful love is the best kind there is. There will always be something exciting to keep the relationship going."

Al laughed and stepped up beside her. Winry had just smacked Ed to the floor and Ed pulled her down with him, "I guess for them that's true. I don't think they'd be able to survive a day together without fighting, as strange as that sounds."

Vanna didn't answer, but instead bounced Xendra softly on her hip.

Not wanting to feel awkward, Al continued, "I don't know if their kind of relationship would be right for me, however."

On this, Vanna turned toward him, almost surprised that he wanted to have a conversation with her. Al saw this look and cocked his head to the side. He wondered why she seemed so withdrawn. He regretted thinking that quickly. He just met the girl and already he was judging her. But there was just something about her…Al couldn't exactly put his finger on it, but he wanted to get to know her more.

"Why do you say that?" Vanna finally asked, her voice becoming much softer. It appeared like she was sinking into a shell, her eyes becoming less welcoming and her words becoming unsure.

Al smiled, hoping to not scare her away, "I'm not as loud mouthed as my brother. I would rather sit and have a nice long conversation about anything and everything." He stopped before deciding to continue, "I like to sit by slow moving water in the spring and summer. You can never get that hot beside a spring or river, no matter how high the temperature is. In the winter, I like to sit in front of a fire and look outside at the falling snow."

Vanna blinked twice at his confession, having to wonder why he was telling her all this. However, she couldn't deny that she was enjoying his shared words.

Her smile returned, "What about in the autumn?"

Al grinned and held his hands behind his back as he rocked on the balls of his feet, "In the fall, I like to play in the leaves."

Upon hearing this, Vanna laughed. It sounded so light and pure that Al couldn't help but be hypnotized. He wasn't positive, but he thought that this was the first time she actually laughed in a long, long time. The noise sounded as though it had been trapped within her for some time and was finally able to make an escape.

Winry and Ed also heard her and stopped arguing, not that they really knew what they were arguing about anymore. They had been starting to crack with their own smiles and chuckles, but their attention was turned to Al and Vanna.

Stepping forward, Winry grinned, "So that's what your laugh sounds like, Vanna." She turned to Al and shook her head in mock exaggeration, "Amazing, Al. Getting her to laugh is like trying to get a mime to speak. You have a gift there."

Al blushed again and looked away, "I was unaware that I was doing anything."

"Suuure, Al, whatever you say," Ed said, coming up beside him and nudging him in the ribs, "You know you wanted to get on her good side."

Al's eyebrows narrowed, "I certainly didn't want to get on her bad side."

Vanna let out a final giggle, but her eyes still held their amusement, "No Al, you're a very sweet guy. You're girlfriend must be very lucky."

"I don't have a girlfriend," Al said, almost a little too quickly. Ed and Winry shot him a strange glance, having to wonder why it mattered that much. Al seemed just a little too anxious and eager for his own good and they both noticed.

"Oh…" Vanna started, worry and fear taking over her emerald orbs. All four—also including Xendra—became silent before Vanna began walking out of the room, "I think this little one needs changing and then something to eat."

"I just fed her not too long ago," Winry called after her.

Vanna stopped, not turning around, "Then she's probably getting sleepy. I'll lay her down for a nap," and with that, she walked up the stairs.

After she disappeared from sight, Ed turned back to Winry, an eyebrow raised, "What was that about?"

Winry's eyes saddened and she shook her head, "Vanna's been through some tough times in the last three years that I've known her. She has that psychological disease where she thinks everyone she gets close to dies."

"How sad…" Ed commented, feeling bad instantly. Truthfully, he knew how she felt. He went though that stage in his life also. He couldn't deny that that was one of the reasons he never got as close to Winry as he wanted to. Looking over at Al, Ed was surprised to see that Al was still staring in the direction that Vanna left. He could tell that his younger brother felt bad for her also, but there was something more apparent in his expression: determination.

The next couple days went by basically uneventfully. Ed and Al began getting settled in again, as more and more of them were added to the home. They were able to meet a few people around the area when they came for Winry's automail business. Ed sometimes liked to hang around and watch her work, always hiding a smile as she talked on and on about her obsession. Al tried to get closer to Vanna, even after being told by Winry to not come on so strongly.

That's not how he viewed it, though. Al knew he wanted to get to know her better, but he also knew how much space to give her. He couldn't help but feel like he was learning how to be a psychiatrist with Vanna. He had to expect more disappointments than achievements. He was skating on thin ice around her, scared that if he said one little thing wrong, it would scare her away and he would have to start all over again.

"Would you like to talk?" Al asked. This was the question he would always ask her when he saw her sitting by herself or with Xendra, staring off into space.

She snapped out of her daydream like she always did and turned to him. She was sitting down by the river, her daughter asleep on a little blanket beside her. Smiling softly, she averted her eyes back to the water. It was hard for her to look at him too long, in fear that she would one day agree to talk and say too much.

"Actually…" she began, gazing at him out of the corner of her eye. He had each of his four fingers in his pants pockets, the wind blowing his short bangs to and fro. She looked away, "I was just getting ready to go to the store to pick up some things for dinner."

It didn't take Al and Ed long to figure out that Vanna was living with Winry in a guest bedroom. All they knew about the situation, however, is that Vanna was unable to afford living in her own home and had to look elsewhere for a place to live. Luckily for her, she met Winry who allowed her to live with her for free; that is, as long as she pulled her own weight around the house every now and then.

"I'll go with you," Al responded, walking forward when she stood up. She kneeled down to pick up the sleeping baby, but Al beat her to it. He smiled when Xendra made a light cooing sound in her sleep, but didn't wake up. Vanna picked up the pink blanket, grasping it tightly against her bosom.

"You don't have to, Al," she told him, avoiding his eyes as she reached out for Xendra.

Al backed away so she couldn't grab her, "Who said anything about having to? I want to…that way, carrying Xenny won't be a hassle."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, "She's no hassle at all. I like showing her off." She couldn't help but think of that as a lame excuse, but she really wanted to get her shopping done, although she wasn't planning on doing it until Al came along.

"Well…I want to show her off, also," Al shot back with a grin, switching Xendra to his other arm before his muscles went numb.

Vanna's eyes finally shot up to his, surprise quite apparent in her features. She hated how he always had something to counter her excuses. She also hated the way he talked to her and Xendra. It was too…adoring. She didn't know why Al wanted to be around them so much and she didn't know why she didn't allow him even though she really did enjoy his company.

"No thanks, Al, but I can go by myself," she stated bluntly, though softly, trying not to sound cruel. She closed the gap between them as she pulled her daughter from his grasp, accidentally waking her up. Vanna cringed when Xendra began crying, quickly wrapping the blanket around her while trying to shush her.

"Vanna…" he tried to reason with her, but stopped when she turned her back toward him.

"Go see what Winry and Ed's up to," she told him, beginning to walk up the small hill, "I'm sure they'll do something with you."

Al didn't try to stop her this time, but instead stuck his hands back in his pockets and watched her walk away, looking as though she were fleeing from him. His eyes brightened when she turned around to look back at him, but sighed when she continued walking and disappeared over the hill.

He turned around himself to stare at the small stream she had been looking at. _What's it going to take to get through to her?_ He wondered, crossing his legs when he sat down on the grass.

Back at the Rockbell residence, Winry and Ed were in her workroom. She was at her work table, inspecting a piece of metal closely as she tightened a screw. Ed was sitting on a chair not too far from her, looking through one of his many alchemy books. They were both silent, but it was a comfortable silence. They were both involved in something they each enjoyed without getting in each other's way.

After a few moments, Winry looked up, wiping the back of her hand across her forehead. It left an oil stain, but of course, she didn't notice. She moved her eyes over to Ed, smiling when she saw how intense he looked.

"Learning anything new?" she asked, setting down her wrench and picking up a towel to clean her hands.

Ed's eyes wandered up to her, his finger getting ready to turn to the next page, "No, not really. I've read this book about ten times before."

"And yet you're still getting into it," Winry remarked, pulling up a chair and sitting backwards, her legs straddling the back of it.

Chuckling, Ed snapped the book shut, "You've been making and fixing the same things for how long and you're still getting into it."

"Uh-uh-uh," she shook her pointer finger back and forth as though she were reprimanding a child who didn't know any better, "Making and fixing is much different from reading. Every mechanical thing has variation, but words in a book never change."

Ed leaned forward, acting like he had a secret, "Or maybe…they do."

Winry raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to crack a smile or laugh teasingly. However, he looked so serious that she couldn't help but look curious, "Is that even possible?"

"Anything's possible," Ed said, sounding wise beyond his years.

Before she could respond, Al walked in, his eyes saying much more than words ever could. He stood in the doorway, looking like a little kid that was forbidden to eat candy.

"What happened now, Al?" Ed asked, setting his book down on a table.

"Nothing really…" was all he would say, leaning against the doorway, "I was wondering if you would like to spar for awhile."

"Spar?" Ed asked, surprised that Al would come up with the suggestion. They hadn't played around with their strength for sometime; not ever since Al got his body back. Ed couldn't help but smirk just thinking about it. He stood up quickly and clenched his fists, becoming excited, "That's a great idea, Al. Let's see if you're as strong out of that armor."

Winry sighed and backed away from the chair, holding her head in her hand, "You guys still going at that?"

"Hey, this should be a great match!" Ed defended, his eyes sparkling with exhilaration.

Ed ran out of the room, followed by Al. Winry stood there shaking her head, but ended up following after them anyway. Their friendly fights were sometimes amusing to witness, especially when Al was beating Ed pretty badly. It was one of the few times Winry could see Ed get beat up without him getting overly upset.

Once outside in the front yard, Ed slipped off his jacket, spinning his real arm around to loosen it up, "Are you ready, Al? 'Cause you know, I might have a bigger advantage over you now. You're all skin and bones but me…" he laughed with mock evil, holding up his metal arm.

Al chuckled with him, not bothering to show off his muscles. When he got into his fighting position, with both fists in front of him, Ed mimicked him.

"I'll be the beautiful girl that marks the beginning of the event," Winry said, smiling as she stepped up between them. She shot Ed a glare when she saw him roll his eyes. Clearing her throat, she raised her right arm high above her. "Ready…" she watched the guys lower their stances, "set…" they got ready to pounce, "GO!" She lowered her arm and jumped back when the brother's went at each other instantly.

Al threw a punch, but Ed ducked and swept his leg around to trip Al. Thinking fast, Al jumped to avoid falling, spinning around to kick his leg at Ed's neck. He cocked his head to the side, raising his automail arm to block it. Having his leg practically slammed against metal, Al winced and back flipped away. He knelt down to rub his ankle.

"Heh, I never realized how much that stung," Al commented, standing back up to hop on his foot to get the feeling back.

Ed smirked and ran at him before Al could fully recover. He saw that Al was ready for him and pulled his arm back, acting like he was ready to punch. He changed positions at the last second, however, and flipped forward, catching himself on his hands. He was facing away from Al, but was able to wrap his ankles around his neck. Al was so surprised by his older brother's actions, that he didn't counteract.

After getting his bearings, Ed tensed his leg muscles and pulled forward, sending Al head over heels to land on his back. Ed had no choice but to go with him, his legs on either side of Al's body.

Laughing, Ed stared down at him victoriously, "Ha! Not to easy to beat me now that you're whole body can't cover me."

Al let out a breath and grinned, popping his eyes open, "Who says my whole body still can't cover you?"

Ed got the underlying meaning, his eyes flaring up, "Who are you calling a blanket that can't even cover a pebble!"

Choosing not to laugh but instead take advantage of the situation, Al wrapped his large hands around Ed's ankles and pulled forward. It sent Ed flying backward, landing roughly in between Al's legs before Al stood himself up, backing up to make distance.

Groaning lowly, Ed raised his arms and pressed his palms flat against the ground. He pushed himself to get back on his feet, rubbing the back of his head, "Damn Al…I think you just gave me a concussion."

"I know what you mean," Al said, rubbing the back of his own head.

"Wow…you guys are pretty good," Winry admitted, placing a hand on her hip, "So it's a tie?"

"No way!" Ed yelled, taking off his skin tight shirt and throwing it to the side, "We're just getting started, right Al?"

Instead of responding, Al took off his own tee shirt and got into his fighting stance again.

"What do you say we use alchemy now?" Ed asked, stepping closer, "Let's see how good you got in that area of battle."

Al nodded, unclenching his fists, "Sure!"

"Uh, guys…?" Winry spoke up again, holding her elbow, "I don't know if you should do that here and now."

They both turned toward her, "Why?"

"Just don't do it, okay? Use your brute strength," she joked, grinning. She was hoping to get them to continue their fighting the way they were. She smiled more when she saw that they were considering it. Her smile faded quickly, however, when Ed turned away from her and clapped his hands together. He then pointed his open palms toward Al's feet. A spark emitted from the action, scorching a small patch of grass.

Al jumped back out of instinct, "Hey Ed, that wasn't fair. Winry told us not to use alchemy."

"Listen to him, Edo! If you want to use it, go somewhere else," Winry screamed, walking quickly toward them to put an end to Ed's childish ways.

"Aw, come on. It's not like we're going to destroy everything in sight," Ed defended. Winry stopped and put on a warning glare. To show her that he was just as stubborn and determined to do what he wanted, Ed positioned his arms as though he was getting ready to clap his hands again.

"Ed, stop it!" Winry advised, shaking her head.

Al saw how serious she looked. He wasn't sure why she looked so set on stopping them from using their magic, but that something was obviously important, "Brother, it's okay. We can use alchemy some other time."

"What's the big deal? Are you scared of alchemy again, Winry?" Ed chuckled and clapped his hands to make another small electric spark to point it at the ground near Al, "It's harmle—."

"Oh my god."

All three of them heard the exclamation, making them turn around. Vanna was there, holding Xendra closely against her chest, hiding the young girl's face. The bag that held the things she purchased at the store was dangling from her arm. Her now dark green eyes were wide with fear, her body seeming like it was stiff as stone.

"Vanna," Al murmured, almost too scared to move toward her. Before anyone could do anything else, Vanna rushed into the house, the door slamming behind her. Al became speechless.

"What…happened?" Ed asked, though guilt was already written in his eyes.

Winry glared at him for a long moment before shaking her head and walking toward the house herself, "You're an idiot sometimes, Ed."

Sorry for taking so long to update. Thanks for all your reviews though!

I decided to do something different with this story than I originally planned. I usually don't make lead characters that are my own, but I thought I'd make an exception for this story. I like Al a lot and didn't want to leave him out. Thus, Vanna. So, I hope you guys like her, because there might be just as much Al and Vanna as Ed and Winry. Please review and tell me what you think. Thank you!


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